


The Kiss of Spring

by EmeraldRoseQuartz, Latent_Thoughts



Series: Loki and Iona: Royal Pains [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Gen, Iona as a kid, Iona is not having any of Loki's bullshit, Loki as a kid, Loki tries to woo a lady, Romance, chibi Iona, chibi loki, extreme fluff, kids being kids, kiss, prim and proper little Iona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23148472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRoseQuartz/pseuds/EmeraldRoseQuartz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latent_Thoughts/pseuds/Latent_Thoughts
Summary: Little Loki tries to woo and kiss little Iona, but his intentions are not so straight forward.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki/Iona
Series: Loki and Iona: Royal Pains [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663978
Comments: 20
Kudos: 60
Collections: Spring Time with Loki





	The Kiss of Spring

**Author's Note:**

> Behold the one-shot we wrote for the **Spring Time with Loki **Collection. It's pure fluff and cuteness. Hope you guys enjoy this offering. <3****

**IMPORTANT NOTES**

**Bold Text** = _Loki's POV_

Normal Text = _Iona's POV_

* * *

**Loki relaxed next to the window of his and Iona’s sitting room, leafing through more of the endless paperwork he “enjoyed” as king. He sighed softly, reviewing the requests and addendums with a practiced eye as the evening sunlight streamed inside.**

**Iona sat primly at their table, also reviewing stacks of papers...this had become their normal routine recently - at the end of the day, they would sit in silence for a while as they wrapped up their duties, then enjoy each other’s company until bed. It was a comfortable arrangement...but the silence was beginning to grind on him. He felt the urge to converse bubble up…**

**“So…” he said as offhandedly as he could. “What are you working on, dear? I’m just wrapping up the latest round of edicts.”**

Iona looked up from the documents she was reading, a bit startled at his sudden urge to chit-chat. He had been engrossed in his ‘latest round of edicts’ for the last two hours, completely silent.

“Oh, I’m trying to see if I missed anything in the arrangements for the Spring Festival,” she answered. “It’s my first time, so I’m a bit taken with nerves, worried that I’ll miss something.”

She gave him a furtive glance from the top of the documents, wondering if he was recalling a  _ certain  _ Spring Festival from a long, long time ago…

**“Ah, yes. That’s coming up, isn’t it?” He smiled wistfully, remembering the celebrations from years past. “Did you know I got my first kiss at the Spring Festival? That was centuries ago now, but...I still remember it fondly. I worked all day to woo a lucky girl and she finally allowed me to kiss her at sunset. I was SO proud…” He grinned, then looked down almost sheepishly. “Just a childhood fling, as so many were back then. I never even learned her name; I just remember that she had a crown of yellow flowers in her hair. Silly, isn’t it?”**

**With a fond, nostalgic smile, he went to finish with his paperwork.**

Iona just kept staring at him with wide eyes, shocked that he still didn’t recall who that girl was…

Well, not that it had ever come up, but still…

“That’s rather sweet.” She set her lists and invites aside and gave him her full focus. “And maybe not as silly as you think. But I bet that that girl remembers that kiss in a  _ slightly  _ different way.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him as he turned his attention back on her, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“I must say, though, that you’ve come a  _ long  _ way, sire.”

* * *

**_~Many centuries ago~_ **

Iona was holding her mother’s hand, adjusting and re-adjusting her crown of butter blossoms, worried that it would list to one side and make her look less than perfect for the occasion. It was her first Spring Festival, and she wanted to make it memorable. 

Alas, her mother was hardly paying her any mind and her father was nowhere to be seen…

Filled with annoyance at her mother’s constant chatter with the other adults, Iona pulled her hand from her loose grip and turned away, of the mind to go and explore the festivities herself. She was a noble lady, after all, and it was part of her  _ business _ . 

Daintily, she lifted her new purple dress slightly as she walked, bowing to everyone who she came across… as a true lady of the court would.

The flower arrangements all over the pavilion were truly enthralling, even though she couldn’t see them in all their glory due to her short stature. She was still a tiny child, after all. 

But she was determined to not let that affect her. Or ruin her enjoyment of the festivities.

**“You don’t know ANYTHING! I’m a** **_prince,_ ** **and a master of love, and I’ve kissed** **_plenty_ ** **of girls at the Spring Festival!”**

**Loki strolled along the pathway lined with vendors and games and food stands, surrounded by a gaggle of other young noble boys who were bent on teasing him. This was his** **_second_ ** **Spring Festival, and it was only** **_their_ ** **first, so how would they know he was lying through his teeth? No, if he just kept acting like he knew what he was doing, they would** **_have_ ** **to believe him.**

**Right?**

**“No way! You can’t just pick a girl and kiss her! That’s not how it works!” one of them scoffed, annoying Loki to no end.**

**“Loki, you’re so full of it…” said another in the same vein.**

**“That doesn’t sound...correct,” added the third boy.**

**His entourage all grumbled as he proudly lifted his chin and stopped in the middle of the pathway, turning towards them quickly. His new cape whipped around him with a flourish...and then proceeded to float up and fall over his head.**

**He flailed his arms to get it off his face and back where it belonged, then instantly regained his composure, glaring at them with all the confidence he could muster.**

**“Yes I can! Just pick any girl, and I’ll kiss her before the sun goes down. You’ll see! Any girl at all!”**

**And that’s when all the boys’ eyes landed on a dainty little lady in a purple dress, with a crown of yellow flowers on her head, looking just as haughty and falsely-adult as their young prince.**

**“That one,” they all said in unison, and Loki gulped. Oh no...they were going to call his bluff. Now he really HAD to kiss her…**

Iona was eyeing a grand arrangement made entirely out of chocolate, awed at the craftsmanship it took to make it. She couldn’t see the whole of it - once again thwarted by her lack of height - but what  _ was  _ visible to her was very pretty indeed. She wanted to eat it whole, but she also didn’t want to destroy it. 

It was a most painful conundrum…

She was still staring up at it when she heard loud footsteps approaching her. For a split second, she feared that her mother had found her and was going to take her home. 

But when she turned around, it wasn’t her mother who greeted her. It was a boy with raven black hair, dressed in the finery of a highborn.

She watched him silently as he approached her, wondering what he may want from her. A polite smile - one she had learned from her grandmother - graced her face as she waited for him to speak. 

**“Good after** **_noon_ ** **, my lady,” Loki said crisply, just like he’d practiced in the mirror. “Woulds’t thou liketh to explore the fare on mine-eth...arm?”**

**He was** **_pretty_ ** **sure he’d said that right.**

**Regardless, he extended an elbow to her, expecting her to take it so they could walk among the stalls and...maybe talk? He wasn’t sure what happened next. He was playing it by ear.**

Iona looked at him with imperious rejection in her eyes, offended that he’d assume such compliance from her from the get-go.

“I’m afraid the lady thinketh it not right to take a mere stranger’s arm,” she responded, mimicking his way of speaking as a way of mocking him. “Puteth it away, please.”

With that, she turned away from him with a flick of her hair, proceeding with her explorations.

**Loki balked. Had she...did that honestly just** **_happen_ ** **?! She had rejected** **_him_ ** **, a** **_prince_ ** **...was that even allowed?**

**With a huff, he stormed away, stomping back toward his group. And** **_Norns,_ ** **were they delighted.**

**“Told you! Told you it doesn’t work like that!” one of them shouted as Loki pushed past him.**

**“Oh yea?” Loki shouted back as he headed away from them, mostly to hide the furious red in his cheeks from the embarrassment. “Sometimes...sometimes it takes** **_more_ ** **than one try! I’ll kiss her, you’ll see! Before sunset!”**

**And, as soon as he was away from those hooligans, he went** **_straight_ ** **to the love booth at the back of the fair. He went to the counter, having to stand on his tiptoes to see over it, and placed a shiny gold coin on the wooden surface.**

**“I need a girl to kiss me before sunset. What have you got that can help me?”**

Iona was perusing a display of intricate, flower-shaped jewelry when the raven haired boy approached her again. 

She narrowed her eyes at him, her pleasant expression turning into a glower. 

Really, the nerve of this boy… to follow her around the festival displays like a shadow!

“What is it that you want from me? Do you want me to take you to your parents? Are you lost?” she asked hautilly, hands on her waist. “Is it something else? Do you want a treat? I have some money with me and will buy you one if you promise to leave me alone afterwards.”

**Loki didn’t even slow down when she glared at him, he just smirked; because with what he’d purchased from the love booth - which the proprietor had said was an afrode-....aphradee-...it was** **_sex pollen! -_ ** **he had no doubt she would be his. When he finally got in front of her, he simply stood there haughtily, challenging her dismissal.**

**“My lady,” he said, trying to keep up that air of formality...even though he knew she would be** **_swooning_ ** **over him in just a few seconds. “I hath returned to win thine favour! I hath brought-eth you a gift.” Then, with the uncertainty of a child pretending to do adult things, he hesitated and dropped character for just a moment. “But you have to close your eyes if you want me to give it to you.”**

She doubted that he had anything worthy for her… still, she grasped his arm and took him aside.

“Why do you want my favour? You don’t even  _ know  _ me. I should know whether it’s worth my time or not.”

**“I guess thou wilst just have to wait and see?” he said, keeping the powder gripped tight in his little hand, hidden in his pocket. “Come on, close your eyes. I promise you’ll like it.”**

**He wondered what she would do first once she was infatuated with him...would she kiss him right away? Or maybe she’d start by hugging him, and then he would kiss her? Or maybe she’d be shy and he’d have to go slowly…?**

**He was practically bouncing with impatience, so eager was he to give her his “gift”.**

Iona sighed with the air of a full grown adult, something she had learned from her parents and other adults in her life.

“Fine, but I’m only giving you this chance because you keep pestering me,” she stated as she closed her eyes and extended her arms to receive his gift. “Go ahead, then. And be quick about it. I have places to be.”

**Excitedly, Loki took a step back and pulled his hand out of his pocket, opening his palm flat up and eying the yellow granules with delight. Sure, there was a bit of sand and lint mixed in, but that certainly wouldn’t affect the potency of the aphra-...affrodeesee-...whatever! It was about to happen!**

**He took a deep breath...and he blew the powder into her face, just like the man at the booth told him to do. It poofed into the air floated toward her, and he watched as it made contact with her skin, gently covering her eyelashes and cheeks.**

**Brushing off his hand on his tunic, he watched her keenly, anxious to see what effect it would have...**

Iona gasped in panic as she opened her eyes and saw a puff of ugly yellow powder hanging in the air around her. That strong inhale caused the substance to enter her lungs, leading to a strong coughing fit.

“ _ What!? _ ” She nearly choked on her words as she stepped away from him and bent over, her face growing hot. “What did you  _ do! _ ”

More coughs followed, and soon, she grew teary-eyed because of the strain on her lungs. Through her cloudy vision, she saw the boy watching her with widening eyes, as if he hadn’t expected this to happen to her.

Well, she knew now that it was all an act.

“You  _ oaf! _ ” she cried, righting herself and shoving him as she stormed away from him. “Don’t come near me again!”

**Loki was...very confused.** **_That_ ** **wasn’t supposed to happen.**

**As she ran away in tears, he looked at his hand and smelled the powder himself, then licked a bit of it off his palm…**

**It was...** **_ground mustard?!_ **

**Ooooh, that salesman had swindled him! How** **_dare_ ** **he! Loki was a** **_Prince of Asgard,_ ** **and that was just...just…**

**Tears started to well in his eyes. It was just MEAN! Tricking a little kid like that! Well, he would show HIM!**

**But he knew would have to get his revenge later. Right now...he had to try and figure out another way to kiss that girl. The sun was starting to approach the mountains in the distance, meaning sunset would be upon them soon. He had to think fast.**

**Suddenly, he heard a bard singing on one of the nearby stages...and it gave him an idea…**

After dusting off the strange powder from her clothes, Iona went to a nearby drinking fountain and washed her face and eyes thoroughly. She did it all without getting her clothes wet or dirty, something that made her proud.

She then bought herself a refreshing fruit drink and went to sit on a secluded garden bench to catch a break from the festivities. And avoid that annoying boy for the rest of the day.

But...that wasn’t to be her fate. Somehow, the boy found her again, popping out from amidst the thick topiaries that surrounded her bench, carrying a small harp in his hand.

She threw her empty glass at him, but he ducked and avoided it. What more, as she stood up to walk away from him again, he began to sing.

It was a love ballad, and to be honest, he was butchering it.

So she did what she thought was the best thing to do in the present circumstance. She stepped closer to him as he sang, plastering a smile on her face to put him at ease…

And then she snatched the harp from his hands, the smile never faltering from her lips.

“Even _ I _ can sing that one better than  _ you _ ,” she exclaimed as she pushed past him. “You’re awful at everything, it seems.”

**“Hey!” Loki reached for the harp as she went past him. But she was taller than him, and her reach was longer.**

**She held him at arm’s length** **_by his forehead_ ** **as he struggled to grab the instrument, and after a few seconds it was obvious that he wasn’t going to get it. Defeated, his arms dropped to his sides, and he began to pout.**

**“That’s not** **_fair_ ** **!” he whined as she spun away from him, retreating as quickly as her dainty little steps could take her. “I’M JUST TRYING TO** **_WOO_ ** **YOU!” He yelled after her as she disappeared out of sight.**

**The sky was beginning to turn sunset shades, and Loki near panicked as he saw the bottom of the sun touch the tops of the mountains in the distance. He had to do** **_something_ ** **...anything! What was it that she** **_wanted_ ** **? She didn’t want to walk with him, she didn’t want to be serenaded...was there** **_anything_ ** **he’d seen her doing that might--**

**_The chocolate bouquet!_ **

**Loki nearly smacked** **_himself_ ** **in the forehead. Of course! Girls** **_love_ ** **chocolate!**

**He rushed off to find the chocolatier, hoping this last effort would finally win him that kiss. It** **_had_ ** **to!**

Iona smiled to herself as she held the harp against her chest, for something about that boy was beginning to amuse her now. He was silly and very pigheaded. And he wanted to  _ woo _ her. Oh well, he was trying something that was beyond his years yet.

Tossing the instrument into some bushes, she now took to the path that led to the sunset point, her thoughts the only company she had - which was how she liked it, most of the time. The fringe mountains were already casting light shadows over the festivities and arrangements; the sun was about to go down… and she didn’t want to miss seeing the splendid colours of the first spring sunset.

Just as she found the perfect spot to take in the view of the setting sun, she saw the raven haired boy rushing towards her again, a giant chocolate bouquet in his arms.

**Loki’s legs couldn’t carry him fast enough. The massive arrangement of confectionary blocked his view almost completely, but he knew she would be at the sunset point - EVERYONE would be at the sunset point. So this** **_had_ ** **to work!**

**He was able to pick out her pretty purple dress and crown of yellow flowers immediately. He sped up, careening forward...and not watching where his feet landed. He was** **_so_ ** **determined to get this right and get a kiss and—**

**His foot caught on a rock. Before he could even shout in surprise, he was falling, and the exquisite chocolate bouquet was flying through the air, up, and up, and up…**

**He hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him, and as he gulped for air, he saw the bouquet crash against the path as if it were in slow motion, each artfully crafted chocolate flower and leaf shattering and breaking into tiny pieces in the dirt.**

**Just like his heart.**

**Loki couldn’t even bring himself to look up at the crowd that gathered around him. All he could do was push himself up off the ground, brush himself off, and walk away with a sniffle, utterly defeated and depressed.He sat heavily on a nearby bench and put his face in his dusty hands.**

**That was it. He had failed,** **_miserably_ ** **. He** **_wasn’t_ ** **going to get that kiss. Instead, he was going to get mocked...**

Iona saw the whole incident from a few feet away, and honestly, seeing the defeat on the boy’s face afterwards made her heart soften for him.

She also rued the destruction of the perfectly formed chocolate bouquet, but that was entirely another matter… 

Slowly, she approached the boy while he sulked on the bench, clearing her throat so that he’d know she was there.

“Were you bringing that bouquet for me?” she asked gently, coming to stand in front of him.

**Loki quickly tried to compose himself as he heard her. He hadn’t even** **_noticed_ ** **that her standing there, so lost in his own self-abusive thoughts that she had nearly snuck up on him. And he knew he looked a mess - hair disheveled, clothes torn and dirty from his fall, tears leaving wet streaks in the dust on his cheeks…**

**Not like a** **_prince_ ** **at all.**

**He swallowed hard and tried to answer her with the air of royalty that he knew was expected of him.**

**“Yes...but I couldn’t do** **_that_ ** **right either…” Oh, he** **_sounded_ ** **like a child, sniffling and sad. It hurt his ears.**

**_This day can’t get any worse…_ **

Daintily, Iona pulled out her handkerchief from her skirt pocket and began to wipe his dirt-ridden face. In that moment, she noticed just how pretty his blue-green eyes were. Like the glass marbles that she liked to play with. 

He tried to pull away from her at first, but she held him firm by his shoulder as she cleaned his face. 

“Well, as my late great grandmother used to say, ‘tis the intent that counts,’ so I appreciate that you made that effort for me.” She gave him a little smile as she pocketed the handkerchief, satisfied that at least his face was free of dirt now. “Though I didn’t appreciate being choked on whatever powder you had thrown at me. Even so... I forgive you for that.”

**He scooted over as she sat next to him, still too ashamed to make eye contact. Why was she being nice to him** **_now_ ** **, after he’d proven he couldn’t woo her like a proper gentleman? It didn’t make sense...likely, she was going to make fun of him somehow.**

**But as the sun’s upper edge began to dip below the tops of the mountains, he found himself looking up at her, entranced by the orange-diffused light that sparkled in her honey-colored eyes. And he decided to try something different.**

**Honesty.**

**“I was trying to get a kiss from you, because I thought if I did the things grown-ups do, you might allow it...but it turns out I’m not good at those things,” he admitted, his cheeks flushing red**

**Being completely honest about his intentions wasn’t something he normally did, but he couldn’t imagine what else he had to lose. His dignity was already as destroyed as the chocolate bouquet, and at the moment, it was all he could think to do.**

Iona looked at her hands as she considered what he had just told her.

A kiss… as simple as that.

But it wasn’t so simple for her. She had never kissed anyone. She didn’t know what to expect. Or what to do, even.

Also, would a lady let another person  _ kiss  _ her just like that?

Sighing, she looked over at the boy again, and was filled with sympathy, seeing how he had gone out of his way to try and woo her all day. He had failed miserably, yes, but he had never stopped trying. It seemed to her that he needed to be rewarded, at least for that effort and honesty. 

“Alright, you can kiss me, if you still want to…” she mumbled shyly, still looking down. “But only once. And… as a gentleman ought to kiss a lady.”

**Loki’s heart nearly stopped.** **_She said yes_ ** **. He was going to get a kiss after all!**

**He adjusted himself on the bench so he was facing her, and he took her hands gently in his. He had to act before she changed her mind or his nerves got the best of him...for he had never kissed anyone before.**

**Slowly, he leaned forward, his gaze moving quickly between her slightly-parted lips and her shimmering irises, and right before contact, he closed his eyes.**

**He felt her softness against his mouth, and he pushed forward for more, trying to figure out where his lips should be and what his tongue should be doing. But it felt** **_wonderful_ ** **, despite his lack of understanding or ability. And he never wanted it to stop...**

Iona sat passively as the boy moved forward and pressed his lips to hers. They were soft and thin, and the feel of them prompted her to pucker hers. 

As she kissed him back, he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her.

She thought this was it, the kiss was over now… but he just kept going, moving his lips over hers aggressively. A gasp escaped her as she tried to pull away. But the boy held her fast and all but squished his mouth to hers.

“Mmmphey!” she cried out as he pulled on her lips with his teeth and inserted his tongue into her mouth. It was a most unsettling feeling, one that Iona didn’t care for.

She pushed at his chest again, silently telling him that it was over now. The kiss needed to end. She had had enough of his tongue and his sucking mouth.

Thankfully, he did pull away, smiling brightly at her. 

She blushed furiously and rose from the bench, scurrying away from him to wash her mouth.

**He let out a contented sigh as their lips separated, and before he could say anything, she gave him a coquettish look and ran away. He had heard of ladies doing that - kissing and then hurrying off so as to maintain their propriety. He was glad that at least** **_she_ ** **knew what they were supposed to do.**

**Then he noticed the sun finally dipping below the horizon, he felt his chest expand with excitement. He had his first kiss! And he’d gotten it before sunset. He was utterly thrilled with himself!**

**He giggled as he remembered the feel of it, touching his lips softly. Kissing was** **_fun_ ** **...he’d had to practice. A lot. Like...as much as possible. It was a turning point in his young life, one he would never forget.**

**That was when he heard Thor and the nanny calling his name, searching for him - it was time to leave the festival and return to the palace. With a new skip in his step, he headed toward them, smiling triumphantly and wondering when would be the** **_next_ ** **time he would get to kiss someone.**

Iona went back to the drinking fountain to wash her mouth. The kiss had made her feel funny in her belly, not to mention, utterly disgusted.

When she went to the fruit juice vendor to buy another drink, she saw the boy standing with a lady at a distance, talking excitedly to another boy with golden hair.

“They challenged me, saying that I couldn’t get a kiss from a girl, but I did it!” he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “I won the bet!”

The blond boy just nodded and rolled his eyes. “You’re sure the girl liked it?”

“Yes!”

That revelation made Iona  _ so  _ angry!

So...that attempt to woo her was just to win a bet! And she had indeed fallen for his tricks…

Upset, she began to walk towards the boys to give the raven haired one a piece of her mind. But that’s when she got stopped by a group of girls who attended the same classes as her at the academic centre.

“Oh, Iona, why are you heading towards the princes?” one of them asked, swaying her reticule this way and that. “Do you know them?”

Iona’s eyes widened. “ _ Princes? _ ”

The girl nodded. “Yes, the golden haired one is Thor, and the other one is Loki. I know it because my grandmother once took me to a feast in the palace. The princes nearly ruined it because they brought a baby boar into the feasting hall. I learnt that was Prince Loki’s idea - he’s the  _ bad _ one...”

“I hear that prince Loki is a big lying oaf,” another girl said. “He sent toads into the rooms of my parents when they stayed at the palace, and then denied doing so. All because he didn’t like them.”

Iona fumed while she looked towards the princes, absorbing all the information the girls were giving her. So… that boy was  _ Prince Loki…  _ and he was no good at all.

So much for a first kiss…

* * *

_**~Present day~** _

“And that is why I came to hate you so much, especially when I came into Frigga’s service,” Iona said with a nostalgic sigh, a slight smile playing on her lips. “Your churlish behaviour didn’t help either.”

**Loki could** **_feel_ ** **the rush of heat in his face...and Iona’s smirk wasn’t helping.**

**“Sweetling...you can’t possibly still hold that against me, can you? I didn’t know it was** **_you_ ** **. And I’ve grown a bit since then…”**

**He put his papers down and walked to her, kneeling next to her at the table and looking up into those eyes that had captivated his heart before he’d even known what that meant.**

**“Can I try again?” he chuckled, taking her hand in his.**

“I haven’t held that against you, husband, for you’ve clearly improved upon your kissing skills,” she said with a giggle, lowering her face towards his. “But it never hurts to practice some more…”

With that, she let her lips caress his softly, closing her arms around his neck. And she had to admit...it was  _ much _ better than their first time.


End file.
